RAF Fylingdales and Menwith Hill: Missile Defence Role

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they believe that the RAF Fylingdales or RAF Menwith Hill will have an essential role in any United States plans for missile defence; and what upgrading any such role would entail.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The United States Administration has yet to put forward detailed missile defence proposals, so it is too early to say whether such issues will arise.

Royal Parks: Security Escort Vehicles Driven on Cycle Ways and Footpaths

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 26 February (WA 115-116):
	(a) how many escort operations were undertaken by the Metropolitan Police Special Escort Section in the last year, which involved driving cars or motorcycles on footpaths or cycle ways in the Royal Parks;
	(b) what is their assessment of the security risk to people in high security categories being delayed by unexpected traffic congestion; and
	(c) what risk analysis was done by the Special Escort Section to compare the risks to high security category people being delayed by unexpected road traffic congestion compared with the risk of death or injury to the large number of pedestrians and cyclists, caused by such motor vehicles being driven at speed along cycle ways and footpaths, as in the dark in Hyde Park on 5 February.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: We seek to ensure the most effective and efficient protective arrangements for public figures in the light of the changing threat from terrorism and other continuing risks. It is our policy not to comment on the details of protection arrangements for individuals, as to do so could compromise their security.

Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice: UN Note Verbale

Baroness Stern: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have yet responded to the recent request of the Secretary General of the United Nations contained in a note verbale concerning Resolution 2000/14 of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice calling for the development of Basic Principles on the use of restorative justice programme in criminal matters; and, if not, when they expect to do so.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The United Kingdom's response to the United Nations note verbale concerning Resolution 2000/14 of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is currently being prepared and will be submitted shortly. Copies will be placed in the Library.

Mandatory Sentences

Lord Windlesham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there are any new offences contained in the Criminal Justice and Police Bill which when prosecuted would attract a mandatory sentence on conviction.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Criminal Justice and Police Bill contains no new offences that would attract a mandatory sentence on conviction.

Organised Crime

Baroness David: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to tackle organised crime.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Government are making £90 million available over the next three years (2001-04) to help tackle organised crime. The use of the money will be concentrated against heroin and cocaine trafficking, in support of the Government's strategy "Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain", and against people smuggling. Our approach in tackling both forms of crime as set out in the publication Criminal Justice: The Way Ahead is to encourage a co-ordinated inter-agency effort and the additional funding will be allocated to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, the National Crime Squad, the National Criminal Intelligence Service, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the security and intelligence agencies.
	These additional funds will provide the means for effective new collaborative operational effort against these forms of organised crime, adding to the measures which we have announced recently for a Criminal Assets Recovery Agency and a high-tech crime strategy, for which we have also provided additional resources.

Burial of Slaughtered Cattle: BSE Risk Assessment

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have carried out an assessment of the risk due to BSE infectivity from disposal of cattle during the present outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Baroness Hayman: On 30 March, the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) considered the independent assessment from DNV Consulting of the public health risk due to BSE infectivity from burning cattle during the present foot and mouth disease outbreak. This assessment was placed in the Libraries of the House on 15 March. Taking account of comments from SEAC and the Environment Agency, this assessment has been revised to include the possible BSE risks from burying cattle carcasses on farm and in landfill. Copies of this 1 April revision of the DNV risk assessment have been placed in the Libraries of the House, and are today being published on the MAFF Foot and Mouth Disease Internet site.
	SEAC advised that the risk from burning (or burying) cattle born on or after August 1996 would be at least 400 times lower than the risk from burning (or burying) a similar number of cattle born before this date. In the light of SEAC's advice, the Environment Agency is advising that, depending on local hydrogeological and other factors and subject to site specific risk assessments, cattle born on or after 1 August 1996 may be buried.

Full Employment

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their definition of "full employment".

Baroness Blackstone: The Government's Green Paper, Towards full employment in a modern society, sets out the modern definition of full employment as employment opportunity for all, all over the UK. The Government have set ambitious targets for the end of the decade: a higher percentage of people in employment than ever before; an increase in the lone parent employment rate to 70 per cent; and a narrower gap in the employment rates for minority ethnic groups, disabled people and other disadvantaged groups and areas.
	However, this is only a start. Full employment is not a fixed number. Higher, sustainable, levels of employment can be achieved by continuing to run a strong, stable economy; reforming tax and benefits to make work pay; improving education and skills; and opening up jobs to all sections of society by offering more help and more choices to those facing the greatest disadvantage--especially young people, the long-term unemployed, people with disabilities, lone parents and people from minority ethnic groups.

Embryonic Tissue: Applications for Use in Research into Parkinson's Disease

The Duke of Montrose: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many applications there have been to experiment with the use of specially created embryonic stem cell tissue in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and Huntington's chorea since 22 January; and in what ways it is proposed to use the embryonic tissues; and
	Whether they are aware of any experiments with the use of specially created embryonic stem cell tissue in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and Huntington's chorea having been undertaken in the United Kingdom before 22 January.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Any research in the United Kingdom involving the use of embryos to derive stem cells can only be carried out under licence from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) under the strict conditions contained in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Research Purposes) Regulations 2001 permit the use of embryos in research for Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. The HFEA has not received any licence application for such research, but we understand that applications are being prepared.

Contaminated Blood: Judgment

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect to be able to respond to Mr Justice Burton's judgment in the High Court on 26 March concerning contaminated blood supplied by the National Blood Authority; and whether their response will be reported first to Parliament.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government are continuing to consider the wider implications of the High Court judgment. The Government's response will be reported to Parliament.

Supermarkets and Suppliers: Code of Practice

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect the code of practice which is to be followed by supermarkets when dealing with suppliers to take effect; and who will enforce it.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Office of Fair Trading is currently consulting with supermarkets and the representatives of suppliers on a draft of the code of practice. The Director General will advise the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on the terms of the code of practice on the completion of this consultation.
	The supermarkets will be expected to give binding undertakings to abide by the code finally agreed. The Office of Fair Trading is responsible for monitoring compliance with undertakings given under the Fair Trading Act 1973.

Service Sector Companies: ONS Returns

Lord Willoughby de Broke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the Office for National Statistics now requires monthly rather than quarterly returns from companies in the service sector; and whether this is consistent with the Government's stated aim of reducing the administrative burden on small and medium-sized enterprises.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter to Lord Willoughby de Broke from the National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics, Mr Len Cook, dated 5 April 2001.
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on why the Office for National Statistics (ONS) now requires monthly rather than quarterly returns from companies in the service sector and whether this is consistent with the Government's stated aim of reducing the administrative burden on small and medium-sized enterprises.[HL1464]
	There is strong demand for users for more frequent and timely information on changes in the output of the service industry, which now represents two-thirds of the economy. To meet this demand, ONS is developing a monthly index of services which requires the collection of monthly data. This index will match the index of industrial production, which is also a monthly indicator.
	The ONS is extremely conscious of its responsibility to bear down on the costs to business of complying with its surveys. Minimising the burden on suppliers of data is one of the ONS's five key values. The ONS produces, as part of its Business Plan, an Annual Compliance Plan which charts the compliance costs by inquiry; contains details of compliance reducing initiatives that are either being undertaken, or are in the pipeline; contains the compliance target for the current year and shows the profile of compliance costs over a four-year timescale.
	Regular reviews of surveys are carried out to examine whether there is a continuing need for them. An integral part of the review process is to seek respondents' views and to ascertain whether changes to either the forms or sample can be made which reduce the burden on respondents whilst at the same time maintaining the quality of data.

Public Expenditure per Head Comparisons

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the total public expenditure by central government and its agencies, per 1,000 of population in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and each of the English regions in each of the last seven years; and what, on present projections, they estimate the expenditure will be in each of the next three years.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The latest available information on identifiable total managed expenditure per head by country and region was published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses on 3 April.

Financial Services and Markets Act 2000: Entry into Force

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the currently expected date for N2, the coming into force of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000; how many statutory instruments have to be passed before N2; and how many have so far been passed.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Economic Secretary announced on 15 March that N2 will be no later than the end of November 2001.
	The Treasury expects to seek Parliament's approval before N2 to the exercise of around 80 powers contained in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, although these will be grouped into a smaller number of statutory instruments. A list of the powers was attached to a Treasury paper, Financial Services and Markets Act: The Way Ahead, published in August 2000. The paper is available in the Library of the House and on the Treasury's website (www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/legislation).
	As at 3 April, 16 statutory instruments, including Commencement Orders, had been made.